Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra secured a second-place finish in the Lausanne Diamond League, achieving a season’s best throw of 89.49 meters in his final attempt on Thursday. The 26-year-old Chopra, who was in fourth place until the fourth round, managed to improve his position with an 85.58-meter throw in the fifth attempt before delivering his best performance in the last round. His final throw surpassed his earlier effort at the Paris Olympics.
The event was won by two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, who recorded a throw of 90.61 meters in the second round. Julian Weber of Germany claimed third place with a throw of 87.08 meters.
Chopra expressed satisfaction with his performance despite a slow start, highlighting the importance of staying mentally tough and pushing through challenges. He has been managing a long-standing groin injury, which he has been dealing with since winning the gold at the Budapest World Championships last year.
With this result, Chopra earned seven points, placing him in joint third position with Weber in the Diamond League standings, both with 15 points. Anderson Peters moved to the top spot with 21 points. The season’s Diamond League finals will be held in Brussels on September 14, and Chopra will need to finish in the top six of the standings to qualify for the finale. Another Diamond League meeting, featuring a men’s javelin throw event, is scheduled in Zurich on September 5.
Chopra was the Diamond League champion in 2022 but has yet to win a meeting this year, finishing second in Doha and Lausanne. Despite the challenges, Chopra remains focused on finishing the season strong before considering any possible surgery for his injury.